Scale



J. M. TRINER March 7, 1939.

SCALE Original Filed March 27, 1956 SSheetS-Sheet l f7-verz 777,65 M '2 finer March 7, 1939. 1. M. TRlNl-:R 2,149,479

SCALE Original Filed March 27, 1936 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 J. M. TRINER March 7, 1939.

SCALE original Filed Marcha?, 195e 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 2 faz/6715971' E gia-'777,66 M rainer Patented Mar. 7, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SCALE James M. Triner, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Triner Scale and Manufacturing Company, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Illinois 2 Claims.

The present invention relates to weighing scales and some of its leading objects and purposes may be stated as the provision of a scale or weighing apparatus of the type specified which is relatively simple in structure, which can be manufactured at comparatively low cost, which is unlikely to become damaged in ordinary Service, which is accurate, which is subject to a minimum of wear in use, which maintains its precision of weighing qualities over a long period of time, which may be used with ease and facility, etc.

To the accomplishment of these and other desirable aims a present preferred embodiment of the invention has been developed and illustrated in the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification and to which reference should be had in connection with the following detailed description, like reference numerals, for the sake of simplicity, being employed to designate the same parts throughout the several views.

In these drawings:-

Figure l is a vertical section through the upright standard or column of the scale;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary vertical section on a larger scale through the same portion of the apparatus on approximately line 2 2 of Figure l, the parts being viewed in the direction indicated by the arrows;

Figure 3 is a horizontal section through the base portion of the apparatus on the broken line 3 3 of Figure 4;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary vertical section through the same part of the appliance on line 4 4 of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a partial vertical section on an enlarged Scale on line 5 5 of Figure 3;

Figure 6 is an incomplete vertical cross-section on the same larger scale on line 6 5 of Figure 3 or of Figure 5;

Figure '7 is a fragmentary vertical section on line 'I 'I of Figure 5;

Figure 8 is a small horizontal section on line 8 8 of Figure 6 but on a larger scale; and

Figure 9 is a vertical section on line 9 9 of Figure 1.

Referring to these drawings, it will be perceived that the novel and improved scale comprises a base-casing or platform-housing II of appropriate construction with an upright standard or column I2 at one end thereof.

Such base accommodates a pair of levers I3 and I4 fulcrumed respectively at I5 and I5, the lever I3 having an extension or nose-iron I'I projecting to a position below the specified standard or hollow post I2, the two levers being linked together at I8 and associated by any suitable means 20, as presented in Figure 7, with the platform i9 on which the article to be weighed may be deposited.

Referring more specifically to the structural details of this portion of the apparatus, it will be noted, as illustrated in Figures 6 and 8, that each of the hollow side-walls of the platform-housing is built up of a pair of sheet-metal, Z-shaped, outer and inner members 2l and 22, respectively, the top, inwardly-extended flange 23 of the part 2l overlapping the companion, outwardly-directed ange 24 of the inner element 22 to which it is welded or otherwise secured, the narrower, lower flange 25 of the member 2i projecting cutwardly, the corresponding lower flange 26 of the part 22 projecting inwardly, the floor of such hollow base or housing comprising a plate 2! welded or otherwise secured to the ilanges 25 and 26.

Such several structural elements, being thus welded together, form a strong and rigid base for the whole scale, all as will be readily understood.

Inasmuch as the fulcrum-mountings of the two levers I3 and I4 are alike, the following descrip tion of one of them will suffice for both.

The inner surfaces of the two, opposite sidewalls of the base i l have stilfening, strengthening, and reinforcing plates 23 (Figs. 6 and 8) welded thereto, and the cross-bar construction for supporting the fulcrum-members of the corresponding lever is made up of two, horizontal, parallel bars or narrow plates 29, 29 extending from side- Wall to side-wall of the base and having at their opposite ends terminal flanges 3i, 3| bearing against and welded to the inner surfaces of the reinforcing plates 28.

At each end, such cross-bar has two plates 32, 32 riveted between the pair of plates or bars 2S, 29 and at that position occupying the whole space between them, and, to strengthen the structure, the plates 32, 32 extend outwardly beyond the flanges 3l, 3l, their projecting portions snugly fitting in registering apertures provided for that purpose in the parts 22 and 28.

Each pair of plates 32, 32 above the top edges of the parts 29, 29 have upwardly-extended, parallel ears 33, 33 (Fig. 5) for a portion of their length bent to provide a suitable space between them to accommodate a bearing-block 34 forming one member of one knife-edge fulcrum for the lever, the ears and intermediate block being apertured in register to receive a pivot-pin 35 which rockingly supports the block and on which the latter may turn to secure automatically the proper alignment of the parts.

As shown in Figure 5, one end 36 of such pin is screw-threaded and ts in a screw-threaded hole in one of the ears 33, the other end of the screw-pin having a slotted head by means of which it may be Screwed into place.

The top edge of block 313 has a V-shaped channel or seat 31, and, where pin 35 intersects Such channel, the pin is peripherally grooved to avoid contact with the knife-edge member 38 bearing on the seat 31 and mounted in apertures in the side-walls of the corresponding arm 39 of the particular lever i3 or i4 under consideration, the part 38 being prevented from shifting lengthwise or longitudinally outwardly in one direction by a clip or guard il (Fig. 6), the other end of the member 38, which protrudes beyond its side-wall of the arm 39, being bevelled downwardly to a point at its lower edge, which point bears against a hard, tool-steel disc i2 in a cavity i3 in the end of an adjustable screw l in and extended through a threaded passage in a block or support A55 mounted in any approved manner on the bars 29, 29, the screw having a lock-nut 45 to prevent unintentional turning or loosening thereof.

Thus the scale is equipped with four such knifeedge ulcrum means and companion screws i4 and their contained hard-metal discs which permit nice and exact adjustments to be made to prevent the two correlated levers from shifting sidewise yet allowing free and easy rocking movements thereof with a minimum of friction and with but slight wear of the mechanical parts involved.

The lever extension or nose-piece la? by means of a link lll is operatively connected to the middle portion of a transmission-lever 5.3 (Figs. 1 and Il), the latterV being fulcrumed at 49 on the lower end of a link 5i rockingly mounted or fulcrumed at its upper end at 52 on the casing I2 allowing the link to move laterally of the lever, whereby such end of the lever may likewise shift laterally to effect automatic alignments of the parts of the mechanism.

Near its other end such lever 38, which is in the lower portion of the upright standard I2, is connected by a red or link 53 and associated steeltapes 5d (Figs. l and 2) to the smaller-diameter section 55 or" a suitably-mounted, revoluble, motion-multiplying wheel, a larger section 56 of which through a steel-tape or band 57 is operatively connected to a weight-absorbing mechanism 5B incorporating a pair of pendulums 59, 59, this part of the structure being substantially like that, or the equivalent of that, disclosed in United States Patent 1,290,415, Triner, Scale, granted January 7, 1919.

The hub of this motion-multiplying wheel has a flexible steel-tape 6E fastened thereto at one end, its other end carrying a counter-weight l!) which helps to balance the mechanism and to keep the steel tapes or bands taut.

rI'he largest-diameter part iii of such motionmultiplying device is tted with a eXible metaltape t2 secured thereto at one end, such tape being connected at its upper end to'the face of a revolubly-mounted duplex-drum 63 between the two parts of which and securedV thereto is a wheel or disc E4 provided on its front face with weight-indicating gures individuallyY visible through arglass-lens 65 as they are brought into register therewith at the top of the machine, an electric-lamp 165 being provided at this portion ofthe appliance iorilluminating the top, exposed,

active part of the disc, all as will be readily understood from an inspection of Figures 1 and 2, the drum 63 also having a tape 66 (Fig. 2) attached thereto and carrying an appropriate counterweight 6l at its lower end. to hold the tapes or bands taut.

The specified motion-increasing device assures a greater range of rotation of the indicatingwheel than has heretofore been available, and it provides means permitting greater separation of the weight-legends on the front of the Wheel and type-legends (not shown) on the back of the wheel forming part of a printing mechanism constituting the subject-matter of my copending patent application Serial No. 71,154.

A graduated tare-beam 'Il (Figs. 1 and 2) fitted with a sliding weight or poise 72, which may be fixed in adjusted position on the beam by its setscrew ll), is fulcrumed at one end at 'i3 on a bracket l, the element l2, as will be readily understood, being movable along the beam 'H and cooperating with its graduations.

At its other end, an arm l5 (Fig. 9) on the tare-beam 'll has a downwardly-directed, sharppointed pin 'i6 bearing in a socket in the bottom portion of a stirrup il attached to the lower end of a flexible, metal band E8 secured at its upper end at 'i9 to the face of an eccentrically-surfaced sector Si mounted to turn on its axis in any approved way in a standard 32.

This sector has its smallest radius at the point where the band or strap leaves it when the tarebeam is horizontal, and the radii increase gradually in both directions from such intermediate zone, the purpose of this construction being to produce a uniform effect of the tare-beam throughout theV complete range of movement of the pendulum mechanism.

Such sector 8l has either integral therewith or xed thereto another concentric sector 83 equipped with a pliable metal-strap 3U bearing on its curved surface and attached thereto at 84, the lower end of such band t being connected to the upper end of a rod 85 (Fig. 1) pivotally joined at its lower end at to the unfulcrumed end of lever 138. Y

As is clearly illustrated, the graduated portion of the tare-beam and its correlated adjustable poise 'l2 are unencased and readily accessible to the user, but the other parts of the tare-beam mechanism are protected by being housed in a suitable casing or covering.

From what precedes, it will be apparent that a container such as a box or barrel for instance, placed upon the platorm i9, by acting through its weight on the connected mechanical elements specified, will rock the tare-beam upwardly, and the weight of the container thus imposed on the platform may be readily balanced by shifting the poise l2 on the beam 'li to the proper position which will indicate on the scale ofthe beam to the observer the weight oi the container.

In this connection, it should be noted that the eccentricity of the sector 3l provides a constant movement arm for weight 'l2 throughout its arcuate range so that the weight Vof any con- Y tainer so used is properly imposed on the tarebeam without the necessity for variation in the scale graduations by reason of the different positions of the beam due todiierent weights.

The sector 83 may be concentric to its aXis because the transmission-lever to which its band isV attached is so far below that under ordinary circumstances anV eccentric member at this point is not.v required.

Further, inasmuch as the tare-beam fulcrum is at one end thereof and there is no downward pull on the beam by the container on the platform, there is much less tendency for wear of the fulcrum means than would occur were the fulcrum at an intermediate point in the length of the beam and downward forces exerted on the beam at opposite sides of its fulcrum, the one by the weight of the container on the platform, the other by the counter-poise.

As a braking or shock-absorbing device for the movements of the parts thus connected together, a dash-pot 81 is located within the base of the machine and is connected to a projection 88 on the nose-iron Il, thus retarding and regulating the movements of the various parts of the scale operatively joined together in the manner hereinbefore indicated, such dash-pot being of any ordinary or suitable construction well known in the art.

From what has been stated, it will be obvious that both the graduated disc 64 and the tarebeam 'll are eiciently operatively connected to the platform I9 and its improved and novel supporting means, whereby the advantages accruing from the employment of the latter are availed of both by the disc and the tare-beam in the performance of their functions which are wellunderstood in the art and need no further reference.

'Ihis invention as presented in the appended claims is not necessarily limited and restricted to the precise and exact details of structure shown and described because the invention is susceptible of a variety oiembodiments and various changes in the particular scale shown may be resorted to without departure from the heart and essence of the invention and without the loss or sacrice of any of its material benefits and advantages.

This patent is a division of my co-pending patent application Serial No. 71,153, Scales, led March 27, 1936.

I claim:

1. In a scale, the combination of a base-housing having hollow side-walls, each composed of an outer sheet-metal member Z-shape in cross-section and an inner sheet-metal member Z-shape in cross-section, said outer member having its lower flange extending outwardly and its upper flange inwardly, said inner member having its lower flange extending inwardly and its upper iiange outwardly just beneath and secured to the corresponding ange of its outer companion wall member, sheet-metal reinforcing plates secured to said inner wall-members, a cross-member connected to opposite ones of said inner wall-members and comprising at least at its end portions a pair of parallel bars spaced apart and having terminal anges secured to the reinforced portions of said inner wall-members, Iillers between and secured to the terminal portions of said parallel-bars, a pair of cooperating levers, a scaleplatform mounted on said levers, knife-edge fulcrum-means mounting one of said levers on upward extensions of said llers, suitable fulcrum-means for said second lever, and means to indicate and to balance the weight of the load resting on said platform.

2. In a scale, the combination of a base-housing having hollow side-walls each composed of outer and inner sheet-metal Walls spaced apart, sheetmetal reinforcing-plates secured to said inner walls, said plates and inner walls being apertured in alignment, a cross-member comprising at least at its ends a pair of parallel bars spaced apart and having terminal iianges secured to the reinforced portionsI of opposite ones of said inner walls, and ller means between and secured to the end portions of said parallel bars and extended beyond said flanges and occupying the apertures of said inner walls, a pair of cooperating levers, a scale-platform mounted on said levers, knife-edge fulcrum-means mounting one of said leversI on said cross-member, a suitable fulcrum means for said second lever, and means to indicate and to balance the weight of a load resting on said platform.

JAMES M. TRINER. 

